About as scrappy and loosely organised as the original roleplaying hobby, retro-clone roleplaying games (or ‘simulacrum games‘ to some) are spreading across the web, gradually gaining converts to their cause: a return to fast-paced, imagination-led roleplaying.

Most of them have a lot in common:

• They’re inspired by the early editions of Dungeons & Dragons.
• They use Wizards of the Coast’s System Reference Document, under the terms of the Open Gaming License.
• Best of all, most of them are free to download, with no strings attached.

Just add dice and you’re ready to play.

Why play a ‘retro-clone’?

You might ask why anyone would want to play these games, when Dungeons & Dragons now has a 4th Edition, and thirty-plus years of recognition behind it.

Well, the reasons are as varied as the players, but for most, it seems to be simple: they want to get back to something that they feel has been lost. Away from enormous rulebooks and mountains of supplements, they want their imagination to take hold again, to run things fast and loose, and to experience roleplaying as they remember it.

While you can easily argue that roleplaying games don’t ‘force’ you to play any particular way, it’s also hard to argue with history and tradition. So if you’re fed up with people throwing rules in your face, or you just fancy getting back to the ‘old school’ way of playing without hunting down out-of-print rulebooks, there’s probably something for you here.

Secret origins

While there may be some people who’ll come to these games completely fresh, perhaps even as their first roleplaying experience, I think it’s more likely that they’ll be introduced to them by someone else – someone who played the original games that inspired these clones.

As one of those people myself, when I first heard about these games, I wanted to know which retro-clone was inspired by which original game. I figured that would help me gauge whether I was interested in using them, based on my memories of the original game, and frankly, I was also just curious.

Unfortunately, most of the retro-clones don’t explicitly state their ‘inspirations’ – basically because of the legal terms of the Open Gaming License, which do not allow them to position themselves as direct replacements for those Other Trademarked Games which usually feature an ampersand in their title. As a result, I had to do some research to determine exactly which game, and which edition of which game, inspired what. (Then I made some pretty pictures to make it really clear.)

As I haven’t agreed to any binding legal license, however, I don’t have to be coy as to what inspired what – even though it’s just that, inspiration. I want to be clear that while most retro-clones use the System Reference Document and will therefore have very familiar mechanics and systems, that does not mean they’re direct copies of Dungeons & Dragons. Instead, they’re inspired and derived from it, and that means all of them will be slightly different from the original… even while they feel very much the same. In other words, my use of an ‘equals’ sign in the pictures below is meant to be interpreted very loosely.

Games inspired by Dungeons & Dragons

Easily the biggest category, and mostly responsible for kick-starting the ‘old school movement’, these games are all to some degree based on Dungeons & Dragons. I’ve ordered them based on which edition they draw most inspiration from.

Swords & Wizardry: White Box

Inspired by: Dungeons & Dragons (1974)

Publisher: Mythmere Games

Download it: Directly from Mythmere Games (PDF file)

Buy it: From Lulu.com, in softcover

Swords & Wizardry: White Box is inspired by the original three-volume rules for Dungeons & Dragons, first printed in 1974 and made available in – you guessed it – a little white box. With no supplemental rules, no extras and no twiddly bits, this is about as close as you can get to the original fantasy game from 35-odd years ago.

A 72-page PDF (only 10 pages shorter than Swords & Wizardry: Core Rules, below) everything you need to play is included, from character creation to spells, equipment and monster listings. The text is well-laid out with suitably ‘vintage looking’ illustrations. It’s also dotted with sidebars including many ‘house rules’ that long-time players will recognise, such as auto-hit on a natural 20, and so on. There’s not too much advice on running a game, except “It’s your game, do what you like” – and frankly that’s probably all that anyone needs.

Compact and brief it may be, but that’s sort of the point. This excellent quote from author Matt Finch’s introduction sums things up:

… this game contains within itself all the  seeds and soul of mythic fantasy, the building blocks of vast complexity, the kindling of wonder. The game is so powerful because it’s encapsulated in a small formula, like a genie kept imprisoned in the small compass of an unremarkable lamp.

Reviews: There seem to be very few reviews, specifically, of the White Box edition of Swords & Wizardry; there are a few reviews of S&W: Core though, some of which I’ve listed below.

Swords & Wizardry: Core Rules

Inspired by: Dungeons & Dragons (1974) and Supplements (1979)

Publisher: Mythmere Games

Download it: For free from Lulu.com (PDF file), or as a Word .doc from Mythmere

Buy it: From Lulu.com, in softcover or hardcover editions

Chronologically, Swords & Wizardry: Core Rules is inspired by slightly later editions of Dungeons & Dragons, and more specifically, supplements for it – however, it was released before the White Box edition seen above.

Using entirely unscientific methods (i.e., my best judgement), Swords & Wizardry seems to be gaining a fairly strong following in the ‘old school roleplaying’ movement, and gets a lot of praise. Publisher Mythmere is also putting their money where their mouth is with ongoing support of the product, so far including a module, a spells supplement and a dedicated magazine called Knockspell. As I’m sure Mythmere would point out, however, Swords & Wizardry is easily compatible with just about all the other games here, so you can use that supplemental material for just about any retro-fantasy RPG.

Swords & Wizardry: Core Rules is a little larger in size than the White Box, being an 82-page PDF. Most of the extra material will be familar to anyone who’s played D&D since 1979, considering the rules are based on those ‘later’ editions. For me, it certainly felt more familar than the White Box, although the differences really are minor. Layout and artwork are again of professional standard, with the cover in particular feeling ‘right’ for an old-school game, mostly because it draws obvious inspiration from the original AD&D Player’s Handbook (appropriately called the ‘Best Cover Ever‘ by Grognardia).

Reviews:

“Return with me to the days of high adventure… The approach is refreshing and the love and care put into the project is obvious. You can’t lose if all you do is check it out; indeed, you might find a new favorite game.” – I Waste The Buddha With My Crossbow

“While I’m one of those weird old-school players who happens to like 4th edition D&D, Swords & Wizardry has re-ignited an old smoldering ember in my gaming heart…. it’s nice to go home for awhile to a game that is made for the hobbyist, by hobbyists, just like 0E was.” – Dragonsfoot Forums

Microlite74

Inspired by: Dungeons & Dragons (1974)

Publisher: RetroRoleplaying.com

Download it: Directly from RetroRoleplaying.com or in print-ready form, from Lulu.com

Living up to both the ‘micro’ and ‘lite’ implied in its title at a mere 20 pages thin, Microlite74 nevertheless manages to pack everything it needs into its page count, assuming that is that you’ve previously played some version of its inspirations. These really are skeletal rules; more of a suggestion of how to play than a Bible for your personal reference.

In a way though, that’s sort of the point, as Microlite74 almost spends as many pages explaining the point and principles of old-school roleplaying as it does giving you rules to play with. There are even two pages of suggestions for other games (including all of those I’ve listed here).

While you might want a bit more detail to run a game with, I’d actually recommend grabbing Microlite74 as an excellent introduction to the ideas behind the old-school movement and style of play. You can read the whole thing in a coffee break, and darn it, the selection of medieval-era artwork is quietly inspiring, too.

OSRIC

Inspired by: Advanced Dungeons & Dragons (1978)

Publisher: Knights ‘n’ Knaves

Download it: For free directly from the OSRIC website (PDF file)

OSRIC, or ‘Old School Reference & Index Compilation’, doesn’t do itself any favours with that name – not exactly evocative of thrilling pulp fantasy adventures, to my mind – but nevertheless, for those of you who want a bit more heft to your game, OSRIC’s got it.

Inspired specifically by the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons ruleset (usually referred to as ’1E’ in old-school circles), OSRIC’s aim is to be “nothing more than a tool for old-school writers” according to the creators. What that seems to translate into, according to commentators, is essentially a ‘readable AD&D’. (How ‘readable’ AD&D is in its original form depends on your tolerance for what fans call ‘Gygaxian’ – Gary Gygax’s uniquely ornate writing style.)

As a result, you get a 400-odd page PDF to swallow, opposed to the sub-100 page counts of Swords & Wizardry, with masses of tables, loads of spells, and a menagerie of monsters. Whether 400 pages of rules makes you freak out or fill with excitement, well, your mileage may vary according to your personal history with the Advanced game.

There’s plenty of supporting material available if you want it, with 41 products available to buy online – and let’s not forget, just about everything published since 1978 or so for That Fantasy Game. Considering the size of the rules in PDF form, it seems odd that there’s no print version available, but there’s nothing stopping you from DIYing your own version.

Reviews:

“… this isn’t 1E within the OGL, it’s 1E with prettier tables and an actually readable presentation… OSRIC is good at what it does – making AD&D readable.” – Turbulent Thoughts

“This certainly is the most ambitious retro-clone project yet undertaken, both in its scope and in the boldness of its approach.” – Grognardia

Labyrinth Lord

Inspired by: Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert sets (1981)

Publisher: Goblinoid Games

Download it: For free directly from the Labyrinth Lord website (ZIPped PDF file)

Buy it: From Lulu.com, in softcover and hardcover editions (two alternate covers available)

Labyrinth Lord shares a lot with Basic Fantasy (below), in that it’s based upon the D&D 1981 Basic-Expert rules, arguably the ‘last bastion’ of the old-school before those new-fangled red-blue-cyan-black-gold ‘BECMI’ sets. Unlike Basic Fantasy though, Labyrinth Lord is trying to make it as a commercial venture, with the publishers Goblinoid Games working to get the rules into games shops across America, at least. (The rules are still available as a free download, though.) Their aim is to try and ignite interest in an older style of fantasy roleplaying, and while I commend their efforts, I’ve got to say I think Basic Fantasy would look better alongside other modern RPGs.

On the other hand, Labyrinth Lord definitely has the D&D nostalgia factor down pat. I mean hey, look at the title typeface for one thing. It’s also a very accurate recreation of the D&D 1981 rules; apparently you can play just about any adventure or use any existing supplement with it. Everything’s covered in the game’s 138 pages, right down to a sample ‘labyrinth’, the game’s term for dungeons (hence the title), and like Basic Fantasy, it’s got some nice illustrations and a good layout.

Unlike Basic Fantasy – and possibly because I believe Labyrinth Lord came out a little later – there’s not as much supplemental material for Labyrinth Lord, at least not from the publishers. However, it’s frequently mentioned alongside Swords & Wizardry when talking about the old-school ‘movement’, so I’m sure it must be getting played out there. There’s actually a comparison between Labyrinth Lord and Basic Fantasy written on this blog, so if you want to know the differences, check it out.

Reviews:

“I’m very happy with LL. The product is a good one and I wouldn’t hesitate recommending it to newbies just starting, experienced gamers looking for something that allows them more freedom, or those who want to remember what BD&D was like at its best.”- RPG.net

Basic Fantasy

Inspired by: Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert sets (1981)

Publisher: Chris Gonnerman

Download it: For free directly from the Basic Fantasy website (PDF file)

Buy it: From Lulu.com in softcover, hardcover and coil-bound editions

Of all the retro-clones, for me, Basic Fantasy is the one that feels most like a ‘modern take on an old classic’. As you can see from the cover, there’s a real attempt here to at least style the game like something you’d see on a bookstore shelf; unlike Labyrinth Lord, it doesn’t acknowledge its origins quite as explicitly. However, the two games do share a lot in common, as they’re both modelled off the 1981 Dungeons & Dragons Basic and Expert rules.

Basic Fantasy weighs in a little heavier than Labyrinth Lord, at 159 pages, but the rules read much the same – especially because they’re in the same typeface! There are some small differences; Basic Fantasy chooses to allow players to combine class and race in various combos, for example, whereas Labyrinth Lord goes with the more old-school alternative of having races actually serve as classes.

Production wise, Basic Fantasy is certainly well laid out, with appropriate ‘old-school style’ illustrations. About the only thing it’s missing is a sample adventure, but this is where the publisher – Chris Gonnerman – really shines. The Basic Fantasy website has over a dozen adventures available to download by a variety of authors. There’s also more than ten supplements available to download, too. Considering they’ve all been written by a variety of people, it’s obvious that Basic Fantasy is enjoyed by more than just the author, which moves it from the realm of amateur publication almost into the professional. The only difference is, it’s all for free; even the Lulu printed editions are not making any money for the authors.

If you want a retro-clone that’s got a bit more to it than the rulebook alone, you definitely want to take a look at Basic Fantasy.

Friendly stalkers might have seen me muttering recently about virtual tabletops, as I seem to be going through another of my phases where I think about getting back into regular roleplaying – as in face to face, dice-rolling, character sheet-checking roleplaying. Old-school, in other words.

(Notice I said ‘think’, because these ideas rarely go anywhere. What I’ve discovered over the last few years is that for me, roleplaying as a hobby isn’t about the roleplaying anymore – it’s about the socialising, and that means my requirements for a gaming group have gotten tougher. To put it bluntly, I have to like people before I can enjoy roleplaying with them. Sounds obvious, I know, but I tend to forget that my best roleplaying memories were generally with people I knew as friends first and roleplayers second; it’s easy to delude myself into thinking that the activity will make me like someone, and that doesn’t happen.)

(Having said that, I’ve got some pretty fun memories of playing games with total strangers, as that seems to bring out the sociopathic side of my personality. Thinking about it, it’s surprising I’m not the world’s biggest online griefer.)

Anyway; this actually isn’t a precursor to me boring you with my roleplaying memories. Some random searches later brought me to a whole host of roleplaying blogs (because of course being supreme geeks, roleplayers are all over the web) and led me to an interesting phenomenon: the resurrection of old-school roleplaying. I mean real old-school. I mean… original Dungeons & Dragons.

Not the ‘red box’ edition of D&D. Not even first edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons, which is pretty much where my memories of roleplaying begin. I’m talking about guys who want to play with the original ruleset, exactly as it was back in 1974. And who were obviously guided by the spirit of Gygax when they came up with the name Swords & Wizardry.

They’re not the only game in town, either. Apparently if your taste is a bit more ‘new school’ then you can play a ‘retro-clone’ of the 1978 ruleset in OSRIC (Old School Reference & Index Compilation!), or even recreate those red box days of 1981 with the cunningly referential Labyrinth Lord.

Understand that none of these games are strict reprints of the original material; instead, under Wizards of the Coast’s Open Game License, they’re a sort of… reimagining? Retelling? Swords & Wizardry describes itself as a ‘newly written description’ of the original rules, almost as if they’ve been told to scribes down through the years and now just written down, or perhaps swapped around campfires.

If you’ve got any experience of the original golden oldies though, like I have, then you might be wondering just why these things exist. I mean, we’ve had Advanced Dungeon & Dragons 2nd Edition, then 3rd, then 3.5 and even 4th last year – although somehow they lost the ‘Advanced’ along the way. I mean, isn’t this sort of like ignoring World of Warcraft’s existence, and recreating Colossal Cave Adventure, claiming it’s more fun to play?

Well yes, and no. The comparison is spurious of course, because any roleplaying game trades in one thing; imagination, which doesn’t ‘improve’ with 3D graphics or an 80-level cap. In fact, the argument goes, your imagination tends to atrophy when you’re shown more and asked to imagine less. That’s basically where the fans behind these games are coming from. Just as modern games have added graphical complexity, modern RPGs have added rules complexity – partially because gamers asked for it, and partially because it means more books can be filled with rules, and then sold.

The idea behind this ‘old school movement’ seems simple enough; get back to basics, where the rules are just a helping hand to let your imagination run riot. When the rules don’t cover something, you make it up. Whether that’s a summation of the ‘true spirit’ of original style roleplaying is for a more learned blog than this to cover, but suffice to say, it’s appealing to a lot of people.

I find all of this fascinating, partially because the idea that people are still clinging to The Rules while playing RPGs seems unbelievable to me. I do feel sort of smug saying this, but I never really got beyond the (apparently) old-school idea that the rules are just there for when you want them, and should be ignored when you don’t. Even when I was 15 I was gravitating towards systems that were rules-lite (Star Wars, Ghostbusters, Marvel Superheroes) after struggling with others that were rules-heavy (Champions, Rolemaster).

Perhaps those who’ve been faithful to Dungeons & Dragons all these years have felt that their faith demanded an adherence to The Rules, whatever they may be, and some of them are finally ‘seeing the light’. (Born again roleplayers?) They seem to be kind of late coming to the party, though; even my casual interest in the pen-and-paper industry over the last few years has shown me that the trend is towards less rules and more storytelling, although that itself seems to be a bone of contention for some.

In some ways this is a massive exercise in nostalgia, but then there’s really nothing wrong with that. Just as I still cling to my original favourites (and have been interested to see ‘remakes’ of those games, too), so ‘old school roleplayers’ want to get back to what excited them about roleplaying in the very first instance; imagination run riot, and rules be damned.

POSTSCRIPT: I found a very workable description of what ‘old school D&D’ should ‘feel’ like back in the Grognardia archives, which is worth reading in light of this. I’ll admit, it makes me pine for something, although I’m not too sure what.